Abstract: Methods and systems for automatic detection and recognition of visual tags on equipment are disclosed. The make and model of an object such as an appliance or consumer device is recognized from an image or video using object detection. This make and model information may then be used to direct a user to locate an equipment information tag that includes model and serial number information. Object recognition and optical character recognition can then be employed to extract the model and serial number from the tag, along with any other relevant information. The extracted information may then be used to locate service and/or operation information.

Abstract: An optical symbol includes a data portion in which a plurality of cells is arranged. Each of the plurality of cells is assigned with a linear gradient according to a value.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods of capturing Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) from images captured by a mobile device. Capturing VIN data can be useful in several applications, for example, insurance data capture applications. There are at least two types of images supported by this technology: (1) images of documents and (2) images of non-documents.

Abstract: Both before and after a surprise clock stop, the apparatus and method of various embodiments supplies a stable and continuous clock to a memory module with a unique arrangement of circuit components, including a clock detector circuit, a clock-smoothing circuit, and one or more PLLs. Upon detection of a stopped host clock, a first PLL seamlessly switches to an alternate reference clock from an on-board crystal oscillator. A clock smoothing circuit allows the first PLL to maintain a steady phase and frequency without inducing glitches or period excursions greater than the natural jitter of the locked PLL; one or more optional downstream PLLs may drive additional clock domains.

Abstract: Technologies are disclosed for grouping strokes of digital ink. The disclosed technologies receive a new stroke of digital ink and, responsive thereto, identify groups of strokes that are candidates for receiving the new stroke. Heuristics are computed for one of the candidate groups and for the new stroke. A confidence value is computed for the new stroke based upon the heuristics for the new stroke and the candidate group. If the confidence value exceeds a confidence threshold, which can be user-adjustable, the new stroke of digital ink is added to the candidate group. This process can then be repeated for other candidate groups until a group is found for the new stroke. If no group is found, a new group can be created for the new stroke. A machine learning model can also generate weights for use in computing confidence values.

Abstract: An ingredient data system that ingests text and graphics of product labels associated with consumer products to check compliance with rules pertaining to what can be included on the product labels generally includes a memory having instructions stored thereon, and at least one processor to execute the instructions to transmit via a network a representation of a label view to a user interface on a client computing device that displays one or more of the base attributes associated with the first request, at least a portion of each of the images of one or more of the product labels of the consumer products designated under one or more of the base attributes associated with the first request, and at least a portion of details of noncompliance when one or more of the pieces of the constituent information are identified as impermissible according to the compliance information.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide for systems and methods of separating characters associated with ligatures in digitized documents. The systems and methods provide for a ligature detection engine configured to identify the ligatures, and a ligature processing engine configured to identify and remove the glyphs attaching the separate characters forming the ligature.

Abstract: Methods and systems for system failure diagnosis and correction include extracting syntactic patterns from a plurality of logs with heterogeneous formats. The syntactic patterns are clustered according to categories of system failure. A single semantically unique pattern is extracted for each category of system failure. The semantically unique patterns are matched to recent log information to detect a corresponding system failure. A corrective action us performed responsive to the detected system failure.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods of capturing Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) from images captured by a mobile device. Capturing VIN data can be useful in several applications, for example, insurance data capture applications. There are at least two types of images supported by this technology: (1) images of documents and (2) images of non-documents.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of determining a digital document suitability for OCR processing, the method executable by a user electronic device, the user electronic device configured for capturing a digital image of a document. The method comprises: acquiring by the user electronic device, the digital image of the document; determining, by a classifier executed by the user electronic device, an OCR suitability parameter associated with the digital image, the OCR suitability parameter indicative of whether the digital image is suitable for producing an output of the OCR processing of an acceptable quality, the classifier having been trained to determine the OCR suitability parameter at least partially based on a level of noise associated with the digital image; in response to the OCR suitability parameter being below a pre-determined threshold, causing the user electronic device to re-acquire the digital image.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods of capturing Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) from images captured by a mobile device. Capturing VIN data can be useful in several applications, for example, insurance data capture applications. There are at least two types of images supported by this technology: (1) images of documents and (2) images of non-documents.

Abstract: Parcel theft deterrence for audio/video (A/V) recording and communication devices, such as video doorbells and security cameras. When an A/V recording and communication device captures image data that includes a parcel, a parcel boundary may be created for monitoring the parcel within. In various embodiments, when the parcel is removed from the parcel boundary, a user alert may be generated to notify a user of a client device associated with the A/V recording and communication device that the parcel has been removed.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a control unit. The control unit performs OCR processing by identifying a specified area of image data as a detection area, detecting line images contained in the detection area, and analyzing the detected line images to identify a character represented by the line images. Furthermore, when failing to identify a character represented by the line images in the OCR processing, the control unit determines whether the line images represent a part of a character and, upon determination that the line images represent a part of a character, expands the detection area in a direction where the other part of the character to be identified is assumed to be present and performs the OCR processing again on the expanded detection area.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining farm boundary delineations within a target geographic area, comprising extracting data from pixels of a satellite image of the target geographic area, evaluating the data using a classification algorithm to generate one or more line segments between adjacent pixels, the one or more line segments being representative of a portion of a boundary delineation, connecting the one or more line segments to an adjacent line segment to form a boundary delineation defining at least one parcel of land within the target geographic area, and generating a boundary delineation map including the boundary delineation.

Abstract: A comprising: processing the image to a text image with a number of text blobs; classifying the text blobs based on a calculation as to whether they will belong to a foreground layer or to a background layer in OCR processing; and generating a quality value of the image based on the classified text blobs. By generating the quality value based on the classified text blobs, pictures in the image, which are not relevant for OCR are not taken into account for assessing the quality of the image. The amount of data to be processed is thereby decreased resulting in a method which can be executed in real-time. Furthermore, as the quality assessment criterion is based on the division of blobs into a foreground and a background layer, i.e. on prior knowledge of the OCR system, it provides a good indication for OCR accuracy.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods of capturing Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) from images captured by a mobile device. Capturing VIN data can be useful in several applications, for example, insurance data capture applications. There are at least two types of images supported by this technology: (1) images of documents and (2) images of non-documents.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for recognizing characters using an image are provided. A camera is activated according to a character recognition request and a preview mode is set for displaying an image photographed through the camera in real time. An auto focus of the camera is controlled and an image having a predetermined level of clarity is obtained for character recognition from the images obtained in the preview mode. The image for character recognition is character-recognition-processed so as to extract recognition result data. A final recognition character row is drawn that excludes non-character data from the recognition result data. A first word is combined including at least one character of the final recognition character row and a predetermined maximum number of characters. A dictionary database that stores dictionary information on various languages using the first word is searched, so as to provide the user with the corresponding word.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for automated processing of document images using mobile and desktop communications devices. Systems and methods are provided for expediting analysis of the accuracy and quality of captured images by such devices before transmission to a server for processing. The processes use on-device software to provide immediate feedback to the user as to whether the quality of the document photograph is sufficient for processing, without the need for intermediate communication with a server. The processes utilize component labeling, MICR character recognition methods, automatic image rotation, and weighted image scaling. The invention increases speed of processing, reduces rates of rejection, increases processor efficiency, limits memory use, identifies images with likely errors, and provides the opportunity for correction of errors at the earliest possible time.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods of capturing Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) from images captured by a mobile device. Capturing VIN data can be useful in several applications, for example, insurance data capture applications. There are at least two types of images supported by this technology: (1) images of documents and (2) images of non-documents.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a gain calculation unit that calculates a plurality of first gains that respectively correspond to a plurality of predetermined edges based on a target pixel value and values of pixels adjacent to the target pixel, a blend ratio calculation unit that calculates a plurality of characteristic amounts that represent an accuracy of detecting the plurality of edges based on the target pixel value and the adjacent pixel values and calculates a plurality of weights that respectively correspond to the plurality of first gains based on the plurality of characteristic amounts, a gain adjustment unit that calculates a second gain based on the plurality of first gains and the plurality of weights and an output image generation unit that applies the second gain to the target pixel value to generate output image data.

Abstract: The systems and methods of the present disclosure use a mobile device equipped with a camera to capture and preprocess images of objects including financial documents, financial cards, and identification cards, and to recognize information in the images of the objects. The methods include detecting quadrangles in images of an object in an image data stream generated by the camera, capturing a first image, transforming the first image, binarizing the transformed image, recognizing information in the binarized image, and determining the validity of the recognized information. The method also includes communicating with a server of a financial institution or other organization to determine the validity of the recognized information.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a target-log-image extracting unit and a relevant-log-image extracting unit. The target-log-image extracting unit is configured to extract a log image as a target log image likely to have been generated by use for a specific purpose of an image forming apparatus when text information extracted from the log image of the image forming apparatus by optical character recognition includes a specific phrase. The relevant-log-image extracting unit is configured to extract a log image similar to the target log image as a relevant log image based on a specific feature of the target log image extracted by the target-log-image extracting unit.

Abstract: Image processing for productivity applications is provided. An image may be received by a computing device. The computing device may detect the edges comprising the received image and adjust the image based on a skew state of the detected edges. The computing device may then process the adjusted image to correct imbalances. The computing device may then assign an image classification to the processed image. The computing device may then adjust the processed image based on the assigned image classification.

Abstract: A first technique of recognizing content is disclosed, including: determining a first value representative of a pixel content present at a first set of pixels associated with a first distance from a pixel under consideration; determining a second value representative of a pixel content present at a second set of pixels associated with a second distance from the pixel under consideration; and using the first and second values to compute one or more spatial features associated with the pixel under consideration for purposes of content recognition. A second technique of recognizing content is also disclosed, including: determining, for a pixel, a first value representative of a first feature associated with a set of pixels associated with a first direction from the pixel; and determining, for the pixel, a second value representative of a second feature associated with a set of pixels associated with a second direction from the pixel.

Abstract: A method and system for achieving accurate segmentation of characters with respect to a license plate image within a tight bounding box image. A vehicle image can be captured by an image capturing unit and processed utilizing an ALPR unit. A vertical projection histogram can be calculated to produce an initial character boundary (cuts) and local statistical information can be employed to split a large cut and insert a missing character. The cut can be classified as a valid and/or a suspect character and the suspect character can be analyzed. The suspect character can be normalized and passed to an OCR module for decoding and generating a confidence quote with every conclusion. The non-character images can be rejected at the OCR level by enforcing a confidence threshold. An adjoining suspect narrow character can be combined and the OCR confidence of the combined character can be assessed.

Abstract: Methods are presented suitable for clustering computational event logs (2) including a method for calculating a metric distance between characters of different event messages (4) by comparing both characters to a comparative set of characters. Methods are presented for calculating a metric distance between two event messages (4) comprising determining character metric distances between characters in the compared words and word metric distances between the words in the compared events (4), Methods are presented for creating an area (8) in metric space corresponding to a new cluster (6) when a further event message (26) is found in an overlap region (24) of existing clusters (6, 8). Methods are presented in populating and constructing an event table.

Abstract: Method for marking graphical elements comprising the steps of selecting at least three coherent edge portions (6) of a graphical element (1), wherein the relative orientation of the coherent edge portions (6) is constant and/or smoothly varies along their entire length, the coherent edge portions (6) comprising at least two reference edge portions (66) and one edge portion to mark (67); defining a family of smooth and non-intersecting curves (65), said curves (65) intersecting all of the coherent edge portions (66, 67); shifting the edge portion to mark (67) along the curves (65) relative to the reference edge portions (66); and method for detecting a marking in a graphical element, comprising the steps of locating an encoding area (7) in a digital image of a graphical element (1); retrieving at least two reference edge portions (66) and at least one modified edge portion (68) of the encoding area (7) in the digital image; and determining the relative position of the modified edge portion (68) relative to the

Abstract: Text recognition techniques are described. In one or more implementations, image data is received via a network at a service provider. One or more image deblurring or curve correction techniques are applied to the image data, text is recognized from the deblurred image data using one or more optical character recognition techniques, and the recognized text is exposed for access via the network.

Abstract: The character recognition apparatus recognizes characters from a read document original to correct a character string as a character recognition result in a word unit with a space character as a separator. The character recognition apparatus includes a circumscribed rectangle formation portion which forms a circumscribed rectangle for each recognized alphabet character string, a fixed-pitch font determination portion which determines whether or not a font is a fixed-pitch font based on a distance between center lines in a width direction of adjacent circumscribed rectangles, a portion for determining an excess space character which determines, in the case of a fixed-pitch font, that the space character is an excess based on that a width of a space character in the character string is narrower than a predetermined width, and a portion for deleting the space character determined as an excess from the character string.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first edge extraction unit, an edge processing unit, a second edge extraction unit, a third edge extraction unit and a gradation processing unit. The gradation processing unit performs gradation processing on image data on which edge processing has been performed by the edge processing unit, and switches contents of the gradation processing on the basis of whether a pixel of the image data is a third edge pixel or a no-third edge pixel to enhance a third edge region as compared with another region. The third edge extracted by the third edge extraction unit is constituted of a first edge extracted by the first edge extraction unit as an edge pixel of an object and a second edge extracted by the second edge extraction unit as a pixel having a pixel value changed by the edge processing.

Abstract: It is determined whether or not an input image is an image converted from an image with a relatively low resolution based on one frame of an image. A resolution determination device includes: an edge strength calculator configured to obtain an edge strength of a pixel included in an input image based on luminance of the pixel and luminance of a pixel adjacent to the pixel, for each of a plurality of pixels included in the input image; and a resolution determiner configured to determine whether or not the input image is an image upconverted from an image with a predetermined resolution or less, based on distribution of the edge strengths.

Abstract: A method for generating individual glyphs, and a system and method for inspecting individual glyphs are disclosed. The system includes a true resolution imaging device configured to capture an image of a printed glyph. A registry service has a database for storing other glyphs and/or parameters of other glyphs. An analysis system, in selective communication with the registry service, includes computer software configured to receive the captured image; an image analysis program configured to perform forensic analysis on the received image to determine parameter(s) associated with the glyph; and an image comparison program configured to i) compare the glyph parameter(s) with parameters stored in the registry for other glyphs or with parameters determined, by image analysis program, for the other glyphs stored in the registry, and ii) generate a probability that the glyph and object are authentic based upon the comparison.

Abstract: An image region extracting unit binarizes image data inputted from an image inputting unit and labels the binarized image data based upon a feature value of a pixel to be segmentized into a plurality of image regions. A contour connection determining unit 104 determines whether or not connection points connecting contour lines of the respective image regions extracted by a contour extracting unit each other exist. A contour modifying unit, when it is determined that the connection points exist by the contour connection determining unit, connects the contour lines each other at the connection points to modify the contour line.

Abstract: A content processing application that implements a method for displaying characters at least a threshold distance apart. The method receives two consecutive characters. The method automatically identifies a distance between the two consecutive characters and moves at least one of the two consecutive characters to adjust the distance between the two consecutive characters to a threshold distance apart.

Abstract: A labeling unit that extracts a character included in raster format image data and finds the size of the extracted character, and an approximation method determination unit that determines whether or not to use curve approximation to convert the character based on the found size, are provided. In the case where it has been determined to use curve approximation, the character is converted into a vector format by performing straight-line approximation or curve approximation on each of the various parts of the contour of the character, whereas in the case where it has been determined not to use curve approximation, the character is converted into a vector format by performing straight-line approximation and not performing curve approximation on each of the various parts of the contour of the character.

Abstract: There are provided a labeling portion that extracts a character included in raster format image data, a complexity calculation portion that obtains a degree of complexity indicating complexity of the character, an approximation method determination portion that determines whether or not to use curve approximation to convert the character based on the degree of complexity thus obtained. In the case where it has been determined to use the curve approximation, the character is converted into a vector format by performing straight-line approximation or curve approximation on each part of a contour of the character, whereas in the case where it has been determined not to use the curve approximation, the character is converted into a vector format by performing the straight-line approximation on each part of the contour of the character without performing the curve approximation.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving an image of a product's packaging and extracting information (e.g., a set of facts) associated with a product from the image. The extracted information associated with the product may be stored in an attribute data store and used to populate an online catalog. In addition, one or more labels (e.g., certification logos or identifiers) may be extracted from the image and added to the attribute data store.

Abstract: Various approaches for providing textual information to an application, system, or service are disclosed. In particular, various embodiments enable a user to capture an image with a camera of a portable computing device. The computing device is capable of taking the image and processing it to recognize, identify, and/or isolate the text in order to forward the text to an application or function. The application or function can then utilize the text to perform an action in substantially real-time. The text may include an email, phone number, URL, an address, and the like and the application or function may be dialing the phone number, navigating to the URL, opening an address book to save contact information, displaying a map to show the address, and so on. Adaptive thresholding can be used to account for variations across an image, in order to improve the accuracy and efficiency of text recognition processes.

Abstract: When generating outline data, the contour pixels of the binarized image data are first extracted. Based on the extracted contour pixels, the contour of the image data is approximated to a straight line. In the straight-line approximation process, the distance between adjacent contour pixels among the extracted contour pixels is calculated. It is determined based on the result of the comparison between the length of the first straight line and the length of the second straight line whether the first straight line is used as a contour of the image data. The first straight line connects the first contour pixel and the second contour pixel adjacent to the first contour pixel. The second straight line connects the second contour pixel and the third contour pixel adjacent to the second contour pixel.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a region analysis unit configured to generate a quantized region by integrating regions that are included in an input multivalued image and have similar colors and to determine an attribute of a connected component included in the generated quantized region, and a character portion filling unit configured to determine a color used for filling a connected component that has been determined by the region analysis unit to have a character attribute and to execute processing for filling the connected component that has been determined to have the character attribute. In the image processing apparatus, the character portion filling unit is configured to change a method for determining the color used for filling based on the quantized region existing adjacent to the connected component determined to have the character attribute.

Abstract: Method for marking graphical elements comprising the steps of selecting at least three coherent edge portions (6) of a graphical element (1), wherein the relative orientation of the coherent edge portions (6) is constant and/or smoothly varies along their entire length, the coherent edge portions (6) comprising at least two reference edge portions (66) and one edge portion to mark (67); defining a family of smooth and non-intersecting curves (65), said curves (65) intersecting all of the coherent edge portions (66, 67); shifting the edge portion to mark (67) along the curves (65) relative to the reference edge portions (66); and method for detecting a marking in a graphical element, comprising the steps of locating an encoding area (7) in a digital image of a graphical element (1); retrieving at least two reference edge portions (66) and at least one modified edge portion (68) of the encoding area (7) in the digital image; and determining the relative position of the modified edge portion (68) relative to the

Abstract: A method for emphasizing differences in graphical appearances between an original document and a modified document using annotations with outer and inner boundaries is disclosed. A first bitmap of the modified document and a second bitmap of the original document are received. A set of difference points is derived from a comparison of the first bitmap and the second bitmap. Those difference points are representative of coordinates within the first and second bitmaps having pixel value differences exceeding a predetermined threshold. An outer boundary and an inner boundary of the difference points is derived, then an annotation defined by an area between the outer boundary and the inner boundary is generated.

Abstract: An image processing device including: an image acceptance unit accepting a first image and a second image; a perimeter measurement unit measuring a perimeter of an object image within the first image or an object image within the second image; an area measurement unit measuring an area of the object image within the first image or the object image within the second image; a first reference area generation unit generating a first reference area based on the perimeter and area measured; a datum point extraction unit extracting datum points from the first image and the second image; and a first match judgment unit making the datum points coincide with each other, and judging whether or not the object image within the first image and the object image within the second image are matched, based on densities of the first and second image within the first reference area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an extracting unit, a detecting unit, a selecting unit and a change control unit. The extracting unit extracts a first part of an image that is a processing target, as a display area. The detecting unit sets a second part of the image as a detection target area and detects a boundary of an image element included in the detection target area. The selecting unit selects one of sides that constitute the detected boundary. The change control unit receives a command for changing the display area and changes the display area to a position in which the selected side is matched with one side of the display area.

Abstract: A method and a system for actively detecting and recognizing a placard are provided. In the present method, an image capturing device is moved according to a maneuver rule, wherein the image capturing device captures an image continuously during the movement. Then whether a placard exists in the image or not is determined. If a placard exists in the image, a content of the placard is identified and a corresponding action is executed. The method repeatedly processes the foregoing steps to further continuously move the image capturing device and determine whether the placard exists in a newly captured image so as to achieve a purpose of detecting and recognizing placards actively.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for determining the location of numerals in an electronic document image.

Abstract: A statistical system and method for generating patterns and performing online handwriting recognition based on those patterns. A plurality of predetermined patterns may be generated by performing feature extraction operations on one or more character samples utilizing a Gabor filter. An online handwritten character may be acquired. The online handwritten character may be pre-processed. One or more feature extraction operations, utilizing a Gabor filter, may be performed on the online handwritten character to produce a feature vector. One or more patterns may be generated, using a statistical algorithm, for the online handwritten character, based on the feature vector. The online handwritten character may be statistically classified based on a comparison between the one or more patterns generated for the online handwritten character and the plurality of predetermined patterns.

Abstract: In an X-Y conversion chart, a threshold Th is defined as Y=0, that is, defined on the X axis, a range from ?Th to +Th is defined as a range in which smoothing processing is performed, and a range outside ?Th to +Th is defined as a range in which sharpening processing is performed. Among equations denoted by Y1 and Y2 expressed by two linear straight lines, intersections of both the equations Y1 and Y2 are set to the maximum value and the minimum value of an X-Y conversion equation in this case. The threshold is expressed by an intersection of Y2 and the X axis. This algorithm is formed by three factors of: a coefficient ? indicating the strength of smoothing; a coefficient ? indicating the strength of sharpening; and a threshold Th on the X axis for determining switching between the smoothing processing and the sharpening processing.

Abstract: A sharpening technique for digital images for presentation on a display. The technique may include an upscaling process, a noise reduction process, and a sharpening process. The technique may further use a single buffer for the upscaling, noise reduction, and sharpening.

Abstract: Unique encoding of each of a substantial number of distribution video copies of a program such as a motion picture is produced by altering the images slightly at several pre-selected locations in the program in a uniquely coded pattern. Suspected counterfeits can be compared with an unaltered master video to determine the encoded number for the copy which was counterfeited to enable tracking the source of the counterfeit. Preferably, each frame of several whole scenes is altered at each location by shifting an image so as to make the alterations largely undetectable by counterfeiters but easily detected by comparison with an unaltered master video. Artifacts are inserted in patterns representing a unique number for the program. These supplement the encoding by alteration of images and gives added means to aid in tracing counterfeit copies.